Romney, Eye on Paul, Digs In as He Bets on Iowa

DES MOINES — With days left before voting begins in Iowa, Mitt Romney has fully embraced the state that spurned him four years ago, betting that heightened expectations for his performance at the Republican caucuses here on Tuesday will not undercut his chances of a strong start to the presidential nominating contests.

Wooed by the fractured nature of the Republican primary, the promise of political momentum and the huge news media presence in this state, Mr. Romney’s campaign signaled that it would campaign aggressively here through Tuesday, letting up only for a quick trip to New Hampshire and back late Friday and Saturday. And in the latest sign of Mr. Romney’s confidence, his schedule now calls for him to remain in Iowa for the caucus results on Tuesday night.

Yet his decision to double down in Iowa has heightened the pressure to produce a strong showing just as polls are suggesting a surge by Representative Ron Paul of Texas, whose libertarian message appears to be resonating with many voters. A victory by Mr. Paul on Tuesday would test the ability of Mr. Romney’s advisers to spin a second-place result into a win for him.

Even Mr. Romney seemed to recognize the futility of that public relations effort, should it come to that. Asked on Wednesday afternoon whether a second-place finish behind Mr. Paul would qualify as a victory, Mr. Romney was quick to answer.

But while Mr. Paul’s brand of conservatism might appeal to a particular segment of the Republican electorate, Mr. Romney’s advisers have taken heart in the inability of social and religious conservatives in Iowa to coalesce around a single alternative to him, a role that Mike Huckabee played in 2008.

“Sure, I want to win Iowa. Everyone wants to win Iowa,” Mr. Romney said Thursday during a stop in Mason City, Iowa, gently prodding Republicans to study the field of candidates carefully. He added: “Who do you think can beat Barack Obama? Look at the candidates, decide who you like and see who you think could become president.”

Mr. Romney’s campaign remains focused on collecting delegates over the long haul. A “super PAC” supporting Mr. Romney has already begun reserving airtime in South Carolina and Florida in anticipation of the fight to come later in January. But for now, the focus is firmly on the Hawkeye State.

Campaigning in Mason City shortly after lunchtime, Mr. Romney was met by a crowd of a few hundred people at Music Man Square. His mood was upbeat and his smile was wide as Ben Navratil, an 8-year-old boy, asked him, “Is it hard running for the president?”

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“Yes and no,” Mr. Romney said before adding: “Ha-ha. Sounds like a politician. I apologize.”

Mr. Romney largely ignored his Republican rivals, as he has for days, and urged Iowans to vote for the candidate they believe could beat President Obama in November.

“I hope as you look at the people running you can measure their capacity to lead effectively and you can also determine whether they can become our nominee and defeat President Obama,” Mr. Romney said. “I think I can.”

One of his rivals, Representative Michele Bachmann, struggled Thursday to explain the abrupt departure of her Iowa chairman to Mr. Paul’s campaign. Kent Sorenson, a prominent state senator in Iowa and one of her top advisers, switched allegiance on Wednesday.

At a news conference Thursday morning, Mrs. Bachmann said that Mr. Sorenson had told her Mr. Paul’s campaign offered him money to switch, an accusation that Mr. Paul’s campaign vehemently denies.

“He told me that he was offered money,” Mrs. Bachmann said. “He was offered a lot of money by the Ron Paul campaign to go and associate with the Ron Paul campaign.” She said the conversation took place over the phone on Tuesday.

In a statement, Mr. Sorenson denied the accusation and said, “I was never offered money from the Ron Paul campaign or anyone associated with them and certainly would never accept any.”

A version of this article appears in print on December 30, 2011, on Page A14 of the New York edition with the headline: Romney, Eye on Paul, Digs In as He Bets on Iowa. Order Reprints|Today's Paper|Subscribe